Charley and Bernard play an important role in the play
Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller because they serve as foils of
Willy and his two sons. This means that Charley, a successful man, and Bernard (his
equally successful son) allow the audience to contrast the reality of Willy's foolish
life versus what could have been if Willy had developed a normal relationship with Biff
and Happy.
We know that Charley is Willy's neighbor and
perhaps his only true friend. Without complaint, he continuously offers Willy a job and
gives him money every week for Willy to take to his family. This, of course, he does
secretly and to save Willy's reputation with his
family.
Moreover, we also know that Charley was the only
attendant at Willy's funeral. We see how Charley seems to have a deeper grasp of Willy's
personality and of his situation. Yet, in contrast to Willy, Charley would never be
capable of praising himself nor feel superior to
anybody.
Conclusively, the role of Charley and Bernard is
to foil the Loman's dysfunctional family, and to serve as the only supportive link
between Willy and the real world. If it weren't for Charley, Willy would have not been
able to feed his family, we assume. Also, without Charley's support, the Lomans would
have found themselves desolate at Willy's funeral. Hence, Charley and Bernard represent
Willy's only real support system, and are the best example of a true
friendship.
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